7 Simple Habits For Success

I recently put together a little infographic that I wanted to share with you that boils down the basic recipe for success into 7 basic actionable habits that you can implement pretty easily into your life.

We are currently in a position where daily schedules have been changed pretty substantially and we are creating new routines and habits anyway. Now is a perfect time to start building some you will want to keep long term.

1. Follow the 85/15 Rule
   • Be flexible to boost adherence. 85-90% of our diets should comprise of high quality, nutrient-dense calories derived from mostly whole food sources. The remaining 10-15 of calories can consist of lower quality foods that you enjoy in moderation.
     
2. 8+ Hours Sleep Each Night
   • Sleeping is your secret weapon. Inadequate sleep will negative impact almost every aspect of your life. Mental cognition, athletic performance, ability to recover, hunger, your immune system, and risk of adverse health conditions can all suffer from insufficient sleep.
3. Daily Minimum Fluid Intake
   • You probably need more water. Roughly 60% of our body is water. Even small amounts (3-4%) of dehydration has perceivable negative impact on physiology. A basic rule of thumb is half of your body weight (pounds) in ounces of water as a bare MINIMUM each day. Training days require more.
4. 500+ Grams of Vegetables Each Day
   • Nutrient dense, yet calorie sparse. Most people grossly under-consume vegetables. Most diets are also pretty nutrient deficient. Not a coincidence. Eat vegetables at least 3x daily with your larger meals. Eat a mix of low, medium, and high density vegetables to hit your daily 500 grams.
5. 5K+ Steps Every Single Day
   • Incredibly simple, yet wildly effective. Walking is really simple and doable. Short 10 minute walks after meals are effective for lowering blood glucose levels and improving nutrient partitioning, and the extra daily activity adds up for increasing energy expenditure. During times without current social distancing measures and restrictions, aim for 8-10K+ steps instead of the limited 5K suggested here!
6. 0-2 "Free" Meals Per Week
   • You don't need to be perfect to have success. These are not to be treated as cheats or blowout meals. We are not cheating we are leveraging our understanding of flexibility. Take 0-2 "free meals" per week to not track your food and enjoy some less nutrient dense foods without derailing yourself.
7. 0-4 Alcoholic Drinks Per Week
   • Alcohol intake should be moderated and potentially modified to produce the best results. Alcohol alters the metabolic process and is calorie dense while adding little to no nutritional benefit.